This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Bliausmas: 28.02.2011 22:10.

It's inevitable to run into slowplayed monsters from time to time, but that's variance. Your value betting was really good in that hand, and in the long run you will win in these type of situations as your opponents will call you down with A9, T9s-J9s, TT-JJ, or even worse hands.

About the last hand: you went all-in preflop with KK. It's ridiculous to even ask if this is correct play

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Bliausmas: 28.02.2011 22:18.

You better post some really problem hands, because all these that you posted were simply coolers. Top set on the flop, KK preflop - think yourself, how else could you play that? Fold top set while being afraid of bad beat? Your thinking must be oriented to good decisions, not money won. That means that if you shove preflop with 22 and suckout against AA - that's still bad play, no matter that you win. So - stop blaming yourself where that's not needed and analyse some difficult DECISIONS

All-in with KK is always correct, no matter what. It's the second best preflop hand after all. Well there are some very rare situations where it's better to smooth call it, but believe me, it's so extremely rare it's not even worth thinking about.

Final Pot: $11.30
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Here i limp in with A10o preying to see the flop but am quickly outpriced and must fold losing 4BB
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Here i raise with AKs Preflop as i should but when i see the flop and get a 50% pot raise i know im done and fold. Losing 7BB.
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Here i have pocket 10's raise and am called. Flop arrives and MP1 raises me, having lost confidence in myself by this point and the fact he called my raise pre flop i fold, down another 6BB
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Final Pot: $3.95
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Here i have A10s good enough to defend my SB but when reraised MSS dictates i fold, i was not in the mood for that and called. In first position i bluff thinking my opponent missed the queen, was wrong. - 39BB.
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Known players: (?)
vp$ip BBvsSteal ORL RaisePreflop
Position: Stack
AF W$SD WTS hands

CO wins with a pair of aces (Ad Ac)
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Here i call my pocket 9's. Meet a flop that has a Queen again, i didnt put my opponent on a queen and figure he had an Ace or King and some other card. As i'm first to act in flop i shove all in to find out he is holding pocket aces. -39BB
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So as you can i see deviated from MSS because of my bad beats and no pot wins. Apart from these listed there was a few limps of 0.05 that where folded when raised/missed flop.

Was this the correct play? i mean if he had a high pair i would have been toast. But i shoved for a reason i will explain below.

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Seems i lost the other hand but let me say from memory

I hold pocket jacks

I raise am reraised and call

We enter flop which is something like 10 7 4 rainbow

My opponent raises and i go all in
He calls

Turn : 8
River : i forget not important now

Now i shoved all in to find a strait this guy was a loose player and beat me. Did i make the correct decision?

Another thing im noticing is ALOT of the players are meeting me in flop and raising when i have hit something like middle pair. I am folding every time and im wondering is this because they know that i will fold?

Like i see some people use software that gives them stats on other players in the room, should i be using this? And are they using it to take advantage of how tight i am? They simply raise and know if i reraise they should have the nuts or fold. 8/10 i dont have the confidence to call the raise and they probably end up in profit from that.

This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by Bliausmas: 01.03.2011 03:03.

Oh I just noticed you play with only 40BB stack... When you told midstack I thought about smth like 60-80BB

Well personally I don't have much experience with that short stacks, but I don't actually like your 3bet call with KQ - better ship it preflop or fold it. You won't hit often enough to make the call profitable, and even if you hit top pair K or Q - you might still be dominated.

The same goes with KT - this is weak hand, I don't think it's even worth to open raise it, rather fold it. But anyway, if you raised, and faced a 3bet - fold it then. Well, you faced a min3bet - you probably get kinda correct odds to call - well ok, lets call, but proceed with extreme caution if you hit a top pair. If you hit the monster - you know what to do

Do the MSS strategy say that you should min3bet everytime? I strongly doubt about it, because you just give the correct odds to call with basically anything they open raise. You had AK when you did that once - you should rather 3bet strong, because you definitely want to end all-in preflop with that hand having 37BB. I would 3bet it 5 times and shove any flop.

Same goes with TT hand - 3bet it strong, you want to shove with it. Definitely cbet that flop.

And the same with AT - I'd rather fold it to a raise, but I'm not sure about MSS, that's just my opinion that might be wrong.

Call 3bet with ATs - very bad. You're basically praying to hit at least 2pair, because if you hit top pair and your opponent wants to shove here - you're dead most of the time, the rest of the time your opponent will simply fold and you'll win a small pot. Calling and praying to hit is a terrible mistake and you shouldn't ever do that. I know how nasty it is because I have the same problem myself - when I start tilting my call 3bet percent increases dramatically as I start douching around like "ok lets call a 3bet with 86s, I'll be rich if I hit smth". But that's really stupid thinking and stupid play

JJ hand - yup, well played.

Generally speaking - you should make your preflop range stronger. That means - make your opponents call, be the aggressor, try to call yourself as little as possible. Don't call raises with marginal hands, like KT or QJ, because they will only put you in trouble. It's ok to raise with them, but you should call with very little hands. I think MSS include basically no calling preflop, am I right? Call 3bets - never ever again. Ship it or fold it. While playing MSS I strongly believe there are no hands profitably playable by calling 3bets. Being 100BB+ deep is another story - you can get correct odds to call with some pocket pairs or another marginal hands, but in MSS - no way.

And about the software - well at NL5 it's not really necessary, but at NL10 I'd recommend to use it as the regulars are slightly better, there are more of them, and fishes are a little bit smarter. If you're gonna use it - don't overload your mind - start with 3 basic stats (VPIP/PFR/AF), when you will get used to this, add some more stats you think would be useful, and so on.

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Kodark: 01.03.2011 04:24.

I really appreciate you taking the time to write that and you are right. I shouldn't be a drone to 3bets and ship it or fold it absolutely.

Me calling 3bets with A10 is me on tilt really.

After my downswing i decided to get my confidence back up by playing in NL2 for an hour or so made about 2 NL5 BI's from there and felt alot more confident again.

Moved back up to NL5 just now after chilling out for a while and watching some poker after dark and had some better luck when i went back to the NL5 tables.

So the story has a happy ending as shown below.

Again another day of learning with thanks to you. I learned a bit about downswing and that MSS wasn't unbeatable every hand but so long as i stuck with it and didnt tilt i would come true eventually.

I stopped playing with JTo A10o K10o K9s etc, i really must remember that the reason i see these hands played on tv is because of the lower amount of players and the fact that they know how to play them.

No problem mate, glad to help you.
I used to watch poker after dark before and well, it doesn't really help to improve in micros
I'd even say opposite - it just confuses you.
Your graph is stable and nice now - just keep it that way, there's no need to put some more extra-mega-turbo-strategies

No point to 3bet with 88, especially min3bet. Now you just got yourself in a nasty spot. I'd rather smooth call it preflop and go for a set.
And as played - yup, probably fold, you don't get the right odds to draw, moreover it's a bottom end of a straight, which means that even if you hit your straight it might be beaten by higher straight.

Ye been reviewing my hands best i can and im limping with pocket 10's and below unless i'm in LP

Also been playing AQ and KQ a bit more often with some decent results. I fold to reraises but but for 15cents its worth seeing these flops, especially when they are suited.

Also been trying to maxmise my monsters today. Usually with pocket K's or A's i raise, reraise, all in. But ive been taking advantage of people trying to bully me out the flop because of my tightness by just slowly calling them, so long as streets are under control and i dont see a flush/strait coming. If i do its all in and force them to gamble or fold.

This has been having some nice results.

Had a few funny moments playing today also once i shipped it with pocket jacks. Flop lands me a set but my opponent called my all in pre flop and hits a wheel on the river. Funny thing is she said sorry after that then called my All in in a later hand with a 72o lol. Guess it was her apology.

Then i had one of those moments where its kicking off at all 4 tables and folded the nuts when flop and turn had 8Q88 and i had the Queen. Someone bet min and for some reason i clicked the fold button lol!

Originally posted by Bliausmas
No problem mate, glad to help you.
I used to watch poker after dark before and well, it doesn't really help to improve in micros
I'd even say opposite - it just confuses you.
Your graph is stable and nice now - just keep it that way, there's no need to put some more extra-mega-turbo-strategies

Good luck!

Micro limits and Poker after dark are like heaven and earth. Same goes for online poker and live poker.